New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, who performed at a pre-Grammy gala Saturday, is up for record and song of the year. / Kevin Mazur/WireImage

by Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

by Brian Truitt, USA TODAY

The helmet-clad French pop duo swept the five categories it was in Sunday night at the 56th annual Grammys. Their album Random Access Memories picked up three honors, for album of the year, best dance/electronica album and engineered album, and their single with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, Get Lucky, was named record of the year and best pop duo/group performance.

"On the behalf of the robots, I'd just like to say, man, thank you," Williams said, accepting for the silent Daft Punk twosome and drawing a laugh from the crowd when mentioning they wanted to thank their families.

"Honestly, I bet France is really proud of these guys right now," Williams said later in the night, accepting the award for record of the year.

After their album-of-the-year win, Daft Punk collaborator and songwriter Paul Williams joked that "back when I was drinking, I would imagine things that weren't there and I'd get frightened. Then I got sober and two robots called and asked me to make an album."

"Captain Kirk uses the Enterprise. They sail on a ship called Generosity," Paul Williams added about the duo. "This is a labor of love and we are all so grateful."

And Lorde may never be a royal, but she lorded over the ceremony, too. The 17-year-old New Zealander's hit Royals won both song of the year - she's the youngest artist to ever win in that category - and best pop solo performance.

"I probably wouldn't be here if Joel wasn't here," Lorde (real name: Ella Yelich O'Connor) said, accepting song of the year with co-writer Joel Little. "This guy nurtured me through my early years in songwriting."

Her success so early in her career? "It's been mental," Lorde said.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis also took their first Grammys by storm. The hip-hop duo was named best new artist, and they also won three major rap awards: best performance and best song for Thrift Shop and best album for The Heist.

"Before there was any media, before there was any buzz, before there was a story, there was our fans," Macklemore said when accepting the award for best new artist. "Without them, there would be no us."

Pharrell Williams, who was up for seven awards total, won his first Grammy of the night for producer of the year.

Jay Z entered the night with a leading nine nominations, won best rap-sung collaboration with Justin Timberlake for Holy Grail, and saved most of the love for wife Beyonce and their 2-year-old daughter: "I want to thank God, I mean, a little bit for this award, but to all the universe for conspiring to put that beautiful light of a young lady in my life. And I want to tell Blue that Daddy got a gold sippy cup for you!"

Bruno Mars dedicated his pop vocal album Grammy - for Unorthodox Jukebox - to his mother, who died in June. "I hope you're smiling."

Nashville newcomer Kacey Musgraves won best country album for Same Trailer Different Park, "a record that I poured myself into and I was so proud of," said the singer.

Best country solo performance went to Darius Rucker's Wagon Wheel, while the Civil Wars' From This Valley won for best country duo/group performance. Musgraves' hit Merry Go 'Round was named best country song.

The best rock song category was conquered by the dream team of Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear with Cut Me Some Slack. Grohl said he called up McCartney to jam, and they knocked out the song in a few hours. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for Paul and Ringo (Starr). To me that is what rock 'n' roll is all about."

Timberlake won two early Grammys: Suit & Tie was named best music video, and Pusher Love Girl was best R&B song. Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire was tops in the R&B album category, while best urban contemporary album went to Rihanna's Unapologetic.

Imagine Dragons' Radioactive won for best rock performance, God Is Dead? garnered Black Sabbath the metal performance award, Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampire of the City picked up the Grammy for alternative music album, and Clarity, by Zedd and featuring Foxes, topped the category for best dance recording.

Classic rock band Led Zeppelin made history, winning its first Grammy for best rock album with Celebration Day.

Among other winners announced prior to the telecast, Michael Buble's To Be Loved won best traditional pop vocal album, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's Love Has Come for You was named best American roots song, and Ziggy Marley in Concert garnered best reggae album - sending Snoop Dogg to his 16th Grammy loss.

Draco Rosa's Vida took home best Latin pop album. Best spoken-word album went to comedian Stephen Colbert's America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't, and Kathy Griffin's Calm Down Gurrl was best comedy album.

Herb Alpert won best pop instrumental album for Steppin' Out, Laura Sullivan's Love's River was named best new age album, the Broadway show Kinky Boots received the award for best musical theater album, and the James Bond film Skyfall won both best score soundtrack and best song written for visual media for the Adele title track.

Mandisa's album Overcomer and its title track won the Grammys for contemporary Christian music album and contemporary Christian song, respectively, and Tye Tribbett received the honor for best gospel album for Greater Than (Live) as well as best gospel song for If He Did It Before... Same God (Live).

In jazz categories, saxophonist Wayne Shorter conquered the improvised solo category with Orbits, vocal album went to Gregory Porter's Liquid Spirit, Terri Lyne Carrington won instrumental album for Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue, Night in Calisia was honored with the large ensemble award, and Paquito D'Rivera and Trio Corrente's Song for Maura won best Latin jazz album.

Three other Paul McCartney projects picked up Grammys: Wings Over America for best boxed set and Live Kisses for best music film and surround sound. There were also a pair of tied categories - Gipsy Kings' Savor Flamenco and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Live: Singing for Peace Around the World split for best world music album, and the Rolling Stones' Charlie Is My Darling - Ireland 1965 and Bill Withers' The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums were winners for historical album.